11 Unethical Interview Questions You Dont Need to Answer

11 Unethical Interview Questions You Dont Need to AnswerYes, its an bewerbungsinterview and youre trying your best to be a people-pleaser. But that doesnt mean letting someone ask you information thats off-limits. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Sometimes innocent questions about your hobbies and your kids can justfeel like small talk, but are secretly a trap to get you to divulge information that could affect your chances. Asking certain things outright can be considered discrimination and is explicitly leidlage allowed by government regulation.Be vigilant for the following 11unethical interviewquestions and have a swerve answer prepared.The best rule of thumb? If theres a question that doesnt seem relevant to your duties or performance or how well youd fit into the company or role, dodge it.1. What does your husband/wife do?Some states actively prohibit discrimination on the grounds of marital status. These types of questions are usual ly asked in order to discriminate against women, who might become pregnant or have child care concerns that single candidates wouldnt. Avoid answering anything that seems to assess whether you have a spouse at all.2. Are you pregnant?First of all, its rude to ask. Second, refer to the above. Any question of your kids, your plan to eventually have kids, or your childcare routines are to be avoided for the same reasons.3. Do you have a disability that might interfere with your job performance?(Or anything about a disability or a pattern of illness, i.e. sick days, workers comp claims, mental health problems, etc.) These might seem like valid questions, but it is illegal to ask any questions which would reveal the existence of a disability before the job offer is made.4. Have you ever been arrested?Again, some states explicitly prohibit this. And in some cases, questions like these are used to discriminate against minority candidateswhich is even worse than just discriminating against felons, and actually illegal.5. What year did you graduate?This is a sneaky way of figuring out your age. And age discrimination is not a good thing. Its been federally prohibited since 1967 (at least as applied to people over the age of 40). Bottom line you dont ever have to disclose your age.6. Are you in a union?You have a right to join a union and it is not okay to try and prohibit you from doing so. You should not be questioned about your union membership or intention to acquire one, so dont answer any questions that could give that information out.7. Would you take a genetic test?It is totally illegal to ask you for genetic information, as of 2008. It is also illegal to ask about your family members. You are not in any way required to take any test or give your potential employer any information about your genes.8. Where is your name from?These questions are aimed at figuring out your ethnic background. Other questions like this are What other languages do you speak? or What w as your first language? Racial discrimination is to be frowned upon. Dont be a party to it.9.Where do you worship?Or What days do you worship? This might be evidence of your employer trying to figure out what your faith is. They might be legitimately curious on a personal level, but you are not required tonor should yousay. It could be a potential means of religious discriminationand illegal according to the Civil Rights Act.10. Will you take a polygraph?Most employers are federally not allowed to ask you to take a lie detector test as a condition of employmentor to be fired, not hired, or disciplined for refusing. You can thank the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 for this.11. What do you currently make?Theres a new equal pay law in Massachusetts that makes asking this illegal. But youre not required to answer it anywhere else either Try pivoting instead with a line like, Id prefer to discuss money a little later right now Im just interested in whether this is a good fit f or both of us. Im sure were on the same page.

Quiz What Career Is Best For My Myers-Briggs Type

Quiz What Career Is Best For My Myers-Briggs schrift Developed over 70 years ago by American mother-daughter team Katherine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, the MyersBriggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an introspective personality test based on the teachings of psychologist Carl Jung.Though both Katherine and her daughter Isabel had long been interested in psychology, with Katherine first developing a typology of personality types in 1917, neither was formally educated in the arena. Yet, during World II, they set out to create a new form of Jung-inspired personality template. They believed a deeper knowledge of personality preferences would help women entering the workforce as parte of the war effort to identify jobs that would best suit them. And the template they settled on categorizing test takers into one of 16 possible types became the Myers-Briggs test we know today.As if the tests origins werent already relevant to women in the workforce, the Myers-Briggs test is still widel y used to inform career path choices today. Since it was introduced in 1945, an estimated 50 million people have gone on to discover their MBTI type. Not yet one of them? You can find the official Myer-Briggs test here and once you know your type, take things a step further by learning which career path those in your MBTI categorization are best suited to.Click below to take the quiz.Dont miss out on articles like these. Sign up

Spark a Conversation The Technophobic and Video Interviews - Spark Hire

Spark a Conversation The Technophobic and Video Interviews - Spark HireHere at Spark Hire, we want to help companies utilize the power of online video to find the best candidates. We get a lot of questions from readers about best practices for using online video in the hiring process. These posts will address those questions about how to find your next superstar employee.Question How do I convince the technophobic to video bewerberinterview? -Maurice from Boulder Thanks for the great question, Maurice Its crazy to think that there are technophobics out there in this day and age, but there certainly are. They dont really understand technology and try and keep a distance from it. If you are an employer using video interviews in your hiring process (as you should) then it can be really difficult to recruit ansicht technophobic job seekers. This may not be an issue if your company is technologically advanced, since you wouldnt want these kinds of job seekers anyways, but if your company is not then you dont want to exclude any job seekers.So how can you get these technophobics to hop on the video interview train? There are a number of different ways you can convince these technology-frightened job seekers to start using video interviews. Lets take a look at a coupleExplain the BenefitsFor starters, if you have a job seeker you are very interested in but they dont use technology in their everyday lives, then you should explain to them why you choose to use video interviews in the first place. Tell them all of the benefits of video interviews. Specifically, tell them how video interviews benefit them. Job seekers that participate in video interviews with employers save themselves a load of time in the screening process. Instead of having a phone interview they can record video interview answers to the same questions you would ask them over the phone. With this they have more time to prepare better answers and they have the opportunity to not only tell you why they ar e the best candidate, but also to show you.Also, if youre hiring process includes a series of interviews rather than just one, then you can conduct most of them online and save the office for the last interview. This way the job seeker does not have to travel back and forth to your office and spend time and money on something that is not guaranteed. They can have preliminary interviews with you from their home.Its Easy to UseWhile technophobics probably assume that the technology needed to conduct a video interview is complicated, you can assure them that its actually quite the opposite Tell them how easy it is to get set-up for a video interview. Let them know that all they need is a webcam and a computer. Perhaps they do not have a computer, since they are not big on technology, but chances are one of their friends has one. You can change their idea of video interviews by telling them that all they have to do is turn on their webcam, sit down, and talk. With Spark Hire, it really is that simple. No other technology or devices are needed. In fact, this is probably one of the reasons you started using video interviews in the first place.If you succeed in convincing this top technophobic candidate to participate in your video interview, then you should be sure to walk them through the process before the actual interview. Set up a small window of time where you can sign onto Spark Hire and virtually meet up with them. In fact, employes should walk candidates through the process regardless. Even though it is very easy, video interviewing is still pretty new and candidates may be unfamiliar with it. Doing so allows for a smooth video interview and comfortable candidates.Do you have a question you need answered? Spark a conversation with the Spark Hire team by submitting your question to blog(at)sparkhire.com or in the comments below.

The cofounder of Rent the Runway on your network is everything

The cofounder of Rent the Runway on yur network is everythingThe cofounder of Rent the Runway on your network is everythingRent the Runway is arguably one of the most successful startups we have seen emerge in the last decade (it started in 2009.) After all, it solved multiple problems. The first one it fixed was that young women have limited funds to spend on their wardrobe and at a time when they are making appearances at high stake opportunity events both in their career and social lives.When social media exploded and became an outfit killer once your outfit was seen on multiple platforms, it let you never repeat an outfit again with the launch of Rent the Runway Unlimited. And, for anyone that doesnt have a closet like Cher from Clueless (so the majority of us), this expanded our closet infinitely without having to build an addition on our homes.Ladders is now on SmartNewsDownload the SmartNews app and add the Ladders channel to read the latest career news and advice wherever you go.With Americans experiencing wardrobe panic 36 times a year, an infinite closet is pretty darn smart. That is why this past February the companyreceived $21 million from Blue Pool Capital, which is run by Alibaba founders Jack Ma and Joe Tsai, bringing the companys total venture funding to nearly $210 million, (they just had a $20 million investment), according to ReCode.No network, many problemsCofounders Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss are now household names and startup legends but when they first launched their company, now dubbed the Netflix of fashion, fresh out of Harvard Business School they felt a bit lost as they didnt really have that absolutely essential network of people you need for your career to succeed.At the beginning we had nothing We had Jenny and I, who had limited work experience to start out, and there was really no entrepreneurial community in New York at the time. Every single question that came up we just had to figure out on our own, which we did but it just took us longer than it probably need to, Fleiss told Ladders recently.That is why the cofounders, in partnership with UBS, started Project Entrepreneur in 2015. The foundations goal is to take the already stellar pipeline of female founders and help them build scalable companies at an accelerated rate.Project Entrepreneur has trained over 1,600 women entrepreneurs through its educational programs and events. More than $18 million has been raised by program alumni and 100% of the 2016 Project Entrepreneur Accelerator Participants raised seed roundswithin 16 monthsof the program.We wanted to democratize entrepreneurship in this country to help female founders scale their businesses into big impactful companies. We saw a lot of women with great ideas become founders but then something stops them. They never build the $10 million business, the $100 million business, etc.,Hyman said. We wanted to help women who are already founders, who already had ideas, who have already develo ped products, who already had raised a little bit of money so we could help accelerate them.The pipeline is not the issueShe emphasized that there is not a pipeline problem when it comes to female founders, nor is there an issue of diversity as Project Entrepreneur has worked with women from all 50 states. At the 3rdAnnual Project Entrepreneur Intensive which took place this month in New York the 200 women that were invited to participate represented 25 different states.There are great ideas everywhere and by making koranvers these businesses accelerate we are not only helping these women to build bigger companies and dream bigger but were also diversifying entrepreneurial communities throughout the country, Hyman said.Women leave the two-day workshop conference with an action list as well fundraising deks, branding tips and instructions on how to assemble a team.What Project Entrepreneur really does is gives these founders the built-in network every entrepreneur or really anyone st arting out in their career needs to climb the ladder.Jenny and I believe in action orientation philosophy. Your startup is only as good as your ability to execute and often your ability to execute is dependent on receiving help from the network around you of people who are having the same problems. To have that ability to just answer those questions is a game changer, she told Ladders. The difference between now and when I founded the business is I now have an incredible team and network and group of mentors who are other founders and people at all stages. Maybe a few steps ahead of me or a few steps behind me. You need that because the challenges of entrepreneurship never end.Hyman noted that when she was building RTR she saw that male founders at similar stages did have those networks and were able to grow faster.I think thats part of the reason of why men have been able to accelerate their businesses. There is a movement over the last year not only related to MeToo and TimesUp, b ut also in the venture capitalist and startup community. There is momentum here around the importance of paying it forward and building a network of women helping other women.That was really our philosophy from the beginning. We knew that if we brought these 200 amazing female founders together and helped them and introduced them to a network of people a few steps ahead of them that in two years time the people in the audience today will actually be the mentors, she said.

Operations Engineer Job Description

Operations Engineer Job DescriptionOperations Engineer Job DescriptionOperations Engineer Job DescriptionThis operations engineer sample job description can assist in your creating a job application that will attract job candidates who are qualified for the job. Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements.Operations Engineer Job ResponsibilitiesSupports plant operations by identifying and solving operational problems.Operations Engineer Job DutiesIdentifies operational problems by observing and studying system functioning and performance results investigating complaints and suggestions interviewing process supervisors and operators completing troubleshooting procedures.Identifies operational priorities by assessing operational objectives determining project objectives, such as, efficiency, cost savings, energy conservation, operator convenience, safety, environmental quality estimating relevance, time, and costs.Develops operational solutions by defining, studying, estimating, and screening alternative solutions calculating economics determining impact on total system.Anticipates operational problems by studying operating targets, modes of operation, unit limitations monitoring unit performance.Improves operational quality results by studying, evaluating, and recommending process re-design implementing changes contributing information and opinion to unit design and modification teams.Maintains safe and healthy work environment by following and enforcing standards and procedures complying with legal regulations.Provides operational management information by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing operating and engineering data and trends.Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities reading professional publications maintaining personal networks participating in professional organizations.Accomplishes engineering and organization mission by completing related results as needed.Operations Eng ineer Skills and QualificationsOperations Research, Safety Management, Reporting Skills, Manufacturing Control Planning, Manufacturing Methods and Procedures, Manufacturing Quality, Supply Management, Analyzing Information , Technical Understanding, Innovation, Quality FocusGet Help Finding the Best Operations Engineer for your TeamYour next operations engineer will be a key part of your team. But finding that hire could prove to be challenging. We understand what youre up against, and we know how to help. Sign up for exclusive https//www.youtube.com/ adviceand well send you the latest information to help you hire the talent you need, from crafting a great job description to posting the job in all the right places. Well even throw in a special job posting offer to get you moving in the right direction. Lets start hiring

Arianna Huffington on burnout being a workplace crisis

Arianna Huffington on burnout being a workplace crisisArianna Huffington on burnout being a workplace crisisIn 2016 I founded Thrive Global to end the stress and burnout epidemic, citing the Belgian philosopher Pascal Chabots definition of burnout as civilizations disease. And this week, burnout welches elevated by the World Health Organization from a built-in feature of ur always-on world to a fully defined occupational phenomenon that stems directly from our collective crisis of workplace stress.Its a real milestone to have the World Health Organization for the first time include burnout in its handbookInternational Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Burnout, according to theentry, is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has bedrngnis been successfully managed. It is characterized by three key factors feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion increased mental distance from ones job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism rel ated to ones job and reduced professional efficacy.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraWhy is this so important? Moving burnout from the I know it when I see it column - where it was in 2007, when I collapsed from sleep deprivation and exhaustion and broke my cheekbone - to a fleshed-out workplace problem means we are now in a position to more effectively combat it. Only when we begin to understand our biggest problems can we also begin to effectively address them. And judging by thebroadmediacoveragegenerated by the World Health Organizations news, its clear that not only is burnout in the zeitgeist, but that people are hungry for solutions.Theres something almost cathartic about legitimizing burnout, as the medical world catches up with a ubiquitous condition that has long shaped our lives - especially for young people. As Anne Helen Petersen wrote in aviral BuzzFeed articleea rlier this year, Burnout and the behaviors and weight that accompany it arent, in fact, something we can cure by going on vacation. Its not limited to workers in acutely high-stress environments. And its not a temporary affliction Its the millennial condition. Its our base temperature. Its our background music. Its the way things are. Its our lives. According to Linda and Torsten Heinemann, authors ofa studyin the journalSAGE Open, burnout has become one of the most widely discussed mental health problems in todays society. And that was in 2017.So the World Health Organizations designation is, in its way, something to celebrate. In past eras, weve believed wildly inaccurate things about ourselves and the world. We believed the world was flat. We watched as doctors went on television to recommend their favorite brand of cigarettes. In our time, we are mucksmuschenstill breaking free of the collective delusion that burnout is simply the price we have to pay for success. Calling burnou t what it is - and just as important, ending the era in which its existence can be minimized or even denied - represents a step forward.At Thrive Global, were working to end the global burnout crisis, but we are also relentlessly covering both the crisis and solutions, using all the tools at our disposal totell stories about burnoutand - just as important - give peopletoolstoidentify the signsof burnout andMicrostepsto combat it. Our community of 40,000-pluscontributors, our partnerships with companies around the world, and the guidance of our scientific advisory board have made it clear that burnout is one of the biggest issues of our time.This is true not only for individuals but for businesses. The World Health Organizations announcement represents a big opportunity for companies committed to fighting burnout within their ranks. If youre a business leader looking to improve your employees health and performance, the World Health Organization just handed you a gift.Its clear t hat employee burnout is having a significant impact to the bottom line, including through attrition - and burnt out employees are over 30 percent more likely to leave their jobs. Its why nearly a third of caregivers have had to leave their jobs to care for someone. Its why over 75 percent of expecting mothers say theyre excited to go back to work after giving birth, but 43 percent of them will quit their jobs at some point after that. And employee attrition costs businesses an enormous amount of money, with some estimates suggesting the costs can be as high as 1.5x or 2x the departing employees annual salary.Think about it If employees are experiencing any of the symptoms in the WHOs new definition of burnout - depletion and exhaustion, negativism and cynicism, reduced professional efficacy - are they going to put in their best performance? Or are they more likely to cut corners or to leave?Now, with burnout in the spotlight, companies have a fresh opportunity to step up, for the sake of their people and for the health of the bottom line. Focusing on peoples actual experience at work is no longer a nice-to-have, its a must-have for anyone who wants to succeed in the long run. To find the cure to civilizations disease, its going to take a commitment to getting to the root causes of burnout.This article originally appeared on Thrive Global.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

What to do when your new boss is younger than you

What to do when your new babo is younger than youWhat to do when your new boss is younger than youIn most industries, age is much like the college you went to - a considerable factor but not a deal breaker. Armed with a robust resume that speaks for itself, many employers are less concerned about the exact number of years youve been out of college and more persuaded by your experience and the fruits of your labors.In fact, its a trend that continues to shift according executive coach and leadership development expert, Liz Bentley, especially since younger generations are usually more adaptable and can advance quickly, thanks to their advanced technological skill set.They are able to pivot easily and adjust to the changing work environment. Their lack of time in the workplace sometimes works to their benefit because they have not seen things fail, remember a time when, or be deckenfries in a this is how its done mindset, Bentley says. They are fresh and see challenges as exciting pro blem solving scenarios. They also have the stamina to work longer hours and accomplish a lot in shorter periods of time.That being said, when youre eying a promotion and a younger associate is given the gig over you, it can be tough to take. Or, when an outside professional is recruited for the management opportunity you thought you were a shoo-in for, you might struggle to be respectful toward your new boss.Here, a guide to how to keep your cool, manage your expectations and excel in your position when your superior is a few - or many - years shy of your birth yearRecognize they were hired for a reasonThe hard truth is that executives never have to share their reasoning for hiring one applicant over another. And while you might not always fully comprehend their choices, if you admire their intelligence and expertise, industrial-organizational psychology practitioner and workplace expert, Amy Cooper Hakim, Ph.D. says to remind yourself they hired based on who they thought would pe rform at the best in the role. Even though you have a lot of tenure and related experience, the executives within your organization made this hiring choice. What might you learn from your boss that might help you to better complete your job or interact with customers?, she challenges.Let it go - fastExcuse our direct approach, but first and foremost, you have to get over it. Though you might complain to your trusted confidants outside of the office over happy hour drinks, any sort of complaining, gossiping, or dramatic reactions at work will reflect poorly on your character, according to Bentley. You need to treat them like any other boss. They are the flugschein to your future in the organization and you need to work with them and make them happy, she says. This might mean biting your tongue (or gnawing on the inside of your cheek) for a few months until you acquainted, but its worth the snacking to defend your reputation.Be respectful to earn respectIts not enough to act mature, according to former Navy SEAL, author and entrepreneur, Brent Gleeson. Much like the dynamics of the military, to be respected, you must bestow respect upwards and downwards on the corporate ladder. The more effort you put into not only acknowledging their presence, but actively working to brainstorm, welcome, and rub elbows with your new younger manager, the more they will value you as their employee. As the older subordinate, you must always show respect to your boss. Respect and sincerity always go a long way. Especially, if you may need a letter of recommendation someday, Glesson notes.Seek common groundOne way to build repertoire and a harmonious working environment is to eagerly ask questions about your new manager. Even if youre struggling to accept that they are too young to know any of the music you jammed out to in college, chances are high you at least share a similar interest or hobby. As Hakim says, a manager with a fresh take can also teach you valuable skills to advan ce your own resume. As you put yourself out there and get to know and understand your boss, your rapport will improve and so will your office environment. Who knows, you might even forget their age once you grow to like themDemonstrate your super skillsThough youre minding your manners and swallowing your ego (you got this), Bentley says you shouldnt hide your own successes. Since the average age of retirement continues to increase, more-seasoned generations are working further into their golden years, offering a much-needed balance to the workforce. We need all types in the workforce for diversity, Bentley explains. Older generations bring a maturity that helps with people issues, emotional intelligence and calm. They provide much needed wisdom.Hakim encourages further developing your backbone by - accurately and professionally - stating your opinions. Dont hide what you know. Just because you are uncomfortable that this person is your boss, dont just accept every idea or instruc tion. Gracefully interject your opinions when you feel that your experience and tenure might help to move the team forward, she explains. Remember that this boss will likely impact your next lateral move or future raise.